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NITED STATES ATENT FICE \VILLIAM T. SNOXVDEN' AND IRA E. SNOVVDEN, OFHUGHESVILLE, PENN- SYLVANIA.

PRESS.-

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,238, dated August18, 1896 Application filed January 22, 1896. Serial No. 576,459. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM T. Snow- DEN and IRA E. SNowDEN, ofHughesville, in the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Presses, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to an improvement in presses,especially presses ofthe screw type.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and durable means foreffecting a quick adjustment for different thicknesses of stock,retaining at the same time all of the advantages of an ordinaryscrew-press.

A further object of the invention is to provide a quickly-applied andsimple lockin g device for the column carrying the follower, whereby thecolumn when adjusted may be held against upward or downward movement,while the final pressure is brought to bear uponthe stock through themedium of a screw.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved press. Fig. 2 is a planview of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical central section takentransversely through the press, and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section takensubstantially on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

In carrying out the invention the body A of the press is supported bystandards 10 of any desired length on a suitable base 13. An opening 11is made in the central portion of the body, and a block 12 is preferablysecured in this opening, extending below the under face of the body, orthat which appears as a block in the drawings may be an integral portionof the body. The said block is provided with a central (preferablyrectangular) opening 13, which extends through from top to bottom, andthe block is furthermore provided with two interior chambers 14 and 15,one at each end, both being in communication with the central opening13. A pawl is horizontally located in each of the said end chambers, andthese pawls are designated, re spectively, as 16 and 1'7, being bestshown in Fig. 4. Springs 18 normally act to force the pawls inward or indirection of the central opening 13, and usually the inner faces of thepawls are wider than their shank portions, whereby shoulders are formed,against which the springs 18 have bearing, and likewise against theouter walls of the chambers in which they are located. The shanks of thepawls extend loosely through the end surfaces of the block, and a cam 16is pivoted upon the outer portion of the pawl 16, and a correspondingcam 17 is pivoted upon the outer end of the opposing pawl 17, as shownbest in Fig. 4.

A double-membered or T lever 19 is pivoted at the central portion of itshead upon a projection from the side of the aforesaid block, and a link20 connects the end of one head member of the T-lever with a shankforming a portion of the cam 16, while a sec ond link 21 connects in thesame manner the opposite head member of the T-lever with the oppositecam 17. The pawls of the shifting-lever 19 are located below the underface of the body, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The cams are so formed thatwhen in one position the said cams will bear against the outer endsurfaces of the block to such an extent as to draw the pawls outward,placing the springs 18 under tension, while in the second position ofthe cams the inner ends of the pawls will be carried by the springs 18practically Within the central chamber 13 of the block. The cams havesimultaneously a corresponding movement, and the movements of the camsare brought about by simply carrying the shank of the shifting-lever tothe right or to the left as required.

A stem 0 is held to slide in the central chamber or opening 13 of theblock, and eX- tends above and below the bed of the press. This stem isshaped correspondingly in crosssection to the central shape of theopening 13, and is provided upon one face with teeth 22, constituting arack, and upon two opposing faces of said stem ratchet-teeth 23 areformed, the ratchet-teeth on one side having a downward inclination,while those upon the opposite side of the stem are upwardly inclined.These ratchet-teeth are adapted to be engaged by the pawls 16 and 17, sothat the stem, or, as it may be more properly called, theratchet-column, may be locked in any position to which it may bevertically adjusted and held against upward or downward movement. Theadjustment of the ratchetcolumn 0 is accomplished by a pinion 2i meshingwith the rack 22, the said pinion bein g secured 011 a shaft 25, mountedin suitable bearings on the top of'the body, as shown in Fig. 2, thesaid shaft being provided with a hand-wheel 26 or its equivalent,whereby it may be readily turned.

The lower end of the ratchet-column C is provided with a threadedchamber adapted to receive a screw 28, and the head of this screw isusually provided with a circular groove 29, the head being made to entera recess 80, formed centrally in the upper portion of a follower D, andthe screw-head is held to turn in the said recess ordinarily by securingthe members of the split ring to the follower, the inner edges of themembers entering the groove 19 in the screw-head. Arms 32 are projectedfrom the head of the screw 28 in order that the said screw may bereadily turned.

Screws 33 are located in the body, one near each of its ends, extendingabove and below its body, and each screw has a foot 34 swiveled at itslower end, its upper end being provided with a spoked head 35 or theequivalent thereof. At the upper end of the ratchetcolumn C a pulley 86is mounted to receive a cable 37, adapted for attachment to abalanceweight, the weight being intended to balance the combined weightof the ratchet-column, the screw 28, and the follower, so that the wheel26 will require but little power to turn it when the ratchet-column isadjusted.

In the operation of the press the shiftinglever is moved in a directionwhich will cause the cams l6 and 17 to draw the pawls l6 and 17 out ofengagement with the ratchet-teeth 23. The ratchet-column may now becarried upward or downward by the manipulation of the wheel 26 to anengagement with the stock to be pressed. WVhen the proper adjustment ofthe column has been made, the pawls are released from the action oftheir cams through the medium of the shifting-lever 19 and willimmediately enter to an engagement with the aforesaid ratchet-teeth 23,locking the ratchet-column in its adjusted position. The final pressureon the stock is then given by turning the screw 28 at the bottom of thesaid column.

The screws 33 are brought into action when the stock is of such heightas to bring the follower up near the top of the press, and when thisoccurs the final pressure is brought to bear at the center of thefollower through the medium of the central screw 28, and at the ends ofthe follower through the medium of the aforesaid end screws 33.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, with the frame of a press,a column having sliding movement in the said frame and provided withratchetteeth, a follower connected with the said column, and means,substantially as described, for counterbalancing the column andfollower, of pawls adapted for engagement with the said ratchet-teeth onthe column, cams controlling the movement of the said pawls, ashifting-lever controlling the movement of the said cams, and anadjusting device for the said column, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with the frame of a press, a column having slidingmovement in the said frame and provided with ratchetteeth at oppositesides and having opposite inclinations, and a follower having adjustableconnection with the said column, of spring-controlled pawls adapted forengagement with the ratchet-teeth on the column, cams controlling themovement of the column in one direction, a shifting device controllingthe movement of the said cams, and an adjusting device operating uponthe said column to raise and lower the same, as and for the purposespecified.

3. The combination, with the frame of a press, a column having slidingmovement therein and provided with ratchct-teeth upon opposite faces,the teeth being oppositely inclined, a third face of the column beingprovided with a rack-surface, and a follower having a screw connectionwith the bottom of the column, of spring-controlled pawls adapted forengagement with the ratchetteeth of the column, a shifting deviceoperating both pawls, a pinion engaging with the rack-surface of thecolumn, and means, substantially as described, for rotating the saidpinion, as and for the purpose set forth.

4:. The combination, with the frame of a press, a counterbalancedsliding column and a follower, the latter having screw connection withthe said column, of an elevating device, substantially as described,operating to raise and lower the column, ratchet-teeth formed 011 thesaid column, pawls adapted to engage with the ratchet-teeth, beingnormally held in contact therewith, and a shifting-lever operating bothpawls in an outwardly direction, releasing them from the aforesaidratchet-teeth, as and for the purpose speeified.

5. In a press, the combination of a frame, a column having slidingmovement in the frame, pawls adapted for engagement with opposite sidesof the column, to hold the same in position, and a pivoted T-leverhaving its ends connected to the pawls and arranged when swungpivotally, to operate the same, substantially as set forth.

0. In a press, the combination of a frame,

columns having sliding movement in the when said lever is swungpivotally, to actuate frame, pawls arranged to engage opposite the cams,substantially as set forth.

sides of the columns, springs arranged to WVILLIAM '1. SN OWDEN. movethe pawls in one direction, cams an IRA E. SNOW'DEN.

5 ranged to move the pawls in the other direc- Witnesses:

tion, a pivoted lever, and connections be- EDWARD L. BALL,

tween said lever and the cams, arranged ELLIS FAGUE.

